UPPER MERION — Following a discussion of traffic patterns and pedestrian safety, the board of supervisors voted unanimously Thursday to approve plans for a children’s health facility on North Gulph Road.

The proposed building, described in the plans as a specialty care center, is an extension of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and will stand on an 8.84-acre site across the street from the UGI Amerigas building. With the supervisors’ approval in hand, CHOP plans to break ground as soon as possible, with a projected completion date of 2014.

The vote was 3-0, with two supervisors, William Jenaway and Vice Chairwoman Erika Scott, recusing themselves for what they called personal and professional issues.

“This is going to be a very good thing for the township,” Supervisor Gregory Phillips said.

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A major question regarding the plan was the traffic light at the proposed main entrance of the new hospital. CHOP is proposing two entrances to the building — a main entrance at on Goddard Road, which will utilize the existing traffic light, and a second at a road that has yet to be built, and known in the plan only as Road A. The secondary entrance will be “right-in, right-out” because of the median on Gulph. However, PennDOT and the building developers have discussed the possibility of another traffic light for this entrance as well.

Representatives of the building engineers Bohler Engineering said the issue is still up for discussion, and so far PennDOT has not pressed the issue. UGI Amerigas would prefer to keep the traffic light where it is, rather than moving it or creating a second so close to the first, supervisors said.

CHOP also looking at a possible left-turn lane to ease traffic flow at the second entrance.

Township Solicitor Joseph J. McGrory Jr. proposed that the developer keep the township in the loop regarding any future meetings with PennDOT on the issue.

One unique aspect of the proposed building will be the easy pedestrian access and the surrounding sidewalks, although supervisors expressed concerns about pedestrian safety in and around the building, given the large number of families expected to use the facility.

“All of the roads will have sidewalks built as part of them. There will be an adjacent bicycle park and path,” said Robert Louper, township staff liaison to the Upper Merion Planning Commission.

The specialty care center will offer a number of services to Montgomery County residents, including specialty care, chemotherapy, sports medicine programs and orthopedic specialists, MRIs CAT scans, a sleep study program and cardiology outpatient services.